Pinwheel Farm, where I'm "going around in circles," is a constant source of amusement, amazement, learning, inspiration, and WORK. This blog is to share all that with my family and friends, since I can't possibly find the time to correspond with each of you personally.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Catching Up

Just a random shot of the barn at late-night barncheck, a week or so ago. Time is going by in a blur. Current lamb count is 20, from 11 ewes. Pretty good--though some unexpected singles. One lamb died...not a bad average, except it was an entirely preventable death...it drowned in a stock tank. I should have realized lambs would play on the partially covered tank, fall in, and not be able to get out. Live and learn.

Today was my day to be snarly around the farm. NO ONE was home tonight...no warning about that... no note...no fire in the woodstove on a chilly, damp night. Really threw me off. Not sure HOW it could have made much difference if I'd known in advance, but it WOULD have. Expectations and all that. What if *I* just didn't come home one night??????? Would they just let the dogs pee on the floor and the bucket lambs starve?

When I got out to the barn I was able to calm down and focus a bit. It's increasingly becoming "home" while the house is just someplace I store my clothes and grab snacks. I feel like I just need to live out there these days. It's so nice, and there's so much to do. Tidying and organizing, fixing things, planning, building. Gradually things are falling into place...except that somehow there is never time for actually getting the crops in the ground. That's beginning to worry me a bit. Farmer's Market starts in 2 weeks, April 12.

How long can it POSSIBLY take to attach a 2 x 4 to a chain link panel, as a tool holder in the "tarp shed" that now serves the garden? About an hour, and at least 1/2 mile of walking, minimum...tools and hardware not matching up, and everything scattered among garage, galv. shed, and green barn.

Big milestone this week: The Douglas County Health Dept. approved our application to build a pit privy (outhouse). Talk about putting the cart before the horse: To do the inspection to get the permit, we had to go ahead and dig the 5' deep hole so that we could then drill a 4' deep test hole below that, to check for absence of groundwater. Because we dug by hand (M. loves to dig in my lovely soft soil) and OSHA says any pit with vertical walls has to be lined and the Health Dept. was going to come inspect...basically by the time they could do the inspection, everything up to grade was dug/built.

Now we just need to form up the concrete sill ring, floor and riser; mix concrete; pour concrete; build the building; do the finish work; etc.

About the SheepLady

My grandmother lived to 103; I'm barely over half that....

The first third of my life was spent wandering, in every way possible. Drifting is easy, but not always fun. In hindsight, I see that I was gathering a lot of "thought compost", some of which is great fertilizer and some is just, well, you know....

Eventually I stopped and planted the seeds of a small farm. Way more fun AND work than that silly virtual farm game.

Now I cultivate many things, including sheep, vegetables, the ability to laugh at my mistakes, appreciation of my friends and family, and sheer joy in God's creation.

As part of the harvest, I'll stop and pick a tasty treat now and then, and share it with you on this blog....

"Pinwheel Farm" is on facebook, too, with frequent messages from various members of the Community of Life.